250 protest at Senedd poetry reading (3 at Borders)

The BBC reports that around 250 “Christian activists” turned up to protest at the Welsh assembly today, where Patrick Jones was giving a reading of his “blasphemous” poems.

Stephen Green, whose initial protests against a reading at Waterstones prompted the Senedd invitation, believed that “the turnout shows the strength of feeling of people”.

It is quite remarkable that he managed to persuade so many to come along and try to clean up a mess of his own making.

So far, there have been no reports of the planned “infiltration” of protesters into the readings.

The allegedly blasphemous poem, “Hymn”, was read by local actress Stacey Daley. In the interest of completeness, and in accordance with the “naughty step” principle, here is that poem in full:

HYMN

cover my face
with hijab so unnatural
i’m so ugly in your eyes
or is it my vision is so clitoral

use my holes
to cleanse your souls
paint my image as your icon of immaculation
force the feminine into your crucifixion
an olive branch drowned in thalidomide
they said it would make the sickness go away.

away, away

For the pope and for the immam
all i preach is deicide
just like mary magdelene
i fucked jesus
just like mary magdelene
i have been deemed useless
i shall drift to dust
all around
within,
us
slit my wrist with rosary beads
blind my eyes with testosterone veil
turn the other cheek
as you leave your seed.

Go to bed with jihad so young
fasten my vulva with catholic tongue
decapitate me while i kneel
as all my sisters bow like culled seals

just like mary magdelene
i fucked jesus
just like mary magdelene
i am in each of us

UPDATE: (Dec 12) According to the Western Mail, the protest at the Borders reading later that evening was not quite so successful:

Only three protesters gathered outside including Christian Voice leader Stephen Green, who was thrown out of the store by security guards after refusing to leave.

8 Responses to “250 protest at Senedd poetry reading (3 at Borders)”

Well I think that poem’s rather good. Maybe a little inelegant but the imagery is certainly very striking and the language is pleasantly vigorous. I don’t know what Green’s moaning about – I mean its not one of the ten commandments: “thou shall not say that jesus shagged mary magdalene”.

The Borders signing that evening was hilarious: six policemen plus a handful of private security guards. I had to show my invitation, provide photo ID and be searched before even being allowed into the building.

The security was definitely needed: Green stood, on his own, and sang a hymn while two others handed out flyers. I was quaking in my boots.

That CRASS song got in trouble due to those silly blasphemy laws (late 70s wasn’t it?). It was originally replaced on the ‘Feeding of the 5000′ ep by two minutes of silence entitled ‘The Sound of Free Speech’. Catchy.